Ultrasonic surgical instrument with transducer slip joint

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument for use during a surgical procedure includes an instrument body, an ultrasonic transducer assembly extending along a longitudinal axis, a power cord, and a transducer slip joint. The ultrasonic transducer assembly is rotatably mounted within the instrument body about the longitudinal axis and defines a first outer profile. The power cord projects from the instrument body to provide electrical power to the ultrasonic transducer assembly for operating an acoustic waveguide. The transducer slip joint is positioned between the power cord and the ultrasonic transducer assembly and electrically and mechanically connects the power cord to the ultrasonic transducer assembly. The ultrasonic transducer assembly selectively rotates relative to the power cord for inhibiting the power cord from winding upon rotation of the ultrasonic transducer assembly. The transducer slip joint also defines a second outer profile that fits within the first outer profile of the ultrasonic transducer assembly.

BACKGROUND

A variety of surgical instruments include an end effector having a bladeelement that vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies to cut and/or sealtissue (e.g., by denaturing proteins in tissue cells). These instrumentsinclude piezoelectric elements that convert electrical power intoultrasonic vibrations, which are communicated along an acousticwaveguide to the blade element. The precision of cutting and coagulationmay be controlled by the surgeon's technique and adjusting the powerlevel, blade edge, tissue traction and blade pressure.

Examples of ultrasonic surgical instruments include the HARMONIC ACE®Ultrasonic Shears, the HARMONIC WAVE® Ultrasonic Shears, the HARMONICFOCUS® Ultrasonic Shears, and the HARMONIC SYNERGY® Ultrasonic Blades,all by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Further examplesof such devices and related concepts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,322,055, entitled “Clamp Coagulator/Cutting System for UltrasonicSurgical Instruments,” issued Jun. 21, 1994, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,873, entitled“Ultrasonic Clamp Coagulator Apparatus Having Improved Clamp Mechanism,”issued Feb. 23, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,510, entitled “Ultrasonic ClampCoagulator Apparatus Having Improved Clamp Arm Pivot Mount,” filed Oct.10, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,811, entitled “Blades with Functional BalanceAsymmetries for use with Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Dec.4, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,444, entitled “Blades with Functional BalanceAsymmetries for Use with Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Aug.10, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool with UltrasoundCauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” issued Aug. 31, 2004, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No.8,461,744, entitled “Rotating Transducer Mount for Ultrasonic SurgicalInstruments,” issued Jun. 11, 2013, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,591,536, entitled“Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Blades,” issued Nov. 26, 2013, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pat.No. 8,623,027, entitled “Ergonomic Surgical Instruments,” issued Jan. 7,2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Still further examples of ultrasonic surgical instruments are disclosedin U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0079874, entitled “Tissue Pad for Use with anUltrasonic Surgical Instrument,” published Apr. 13, 2006, the disclosureof which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No.2007/0191713, entitled “Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating,”published Aug. 16, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0282333, entitled “UltrasonicWaveguide and Blade,” published Dec. 6, 2007, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0200940, entitled“Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating,” published Aug. 21,2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; andU.S. Pub. No. 2010/0069940, entitled “Ultrasonic Device for FingertipControl,” published Mar. 18, 2010, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

Some ultrasonic surgical instruments may include a cordless transducersuch as that disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0112687, entitled “RechargeSystem for Medical Devices,” published May 10, 2012, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0116265,entitled “Surgical Instrument with Charging Devices,” published May 10,2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;and/or U.S. Pat. App. No. 61/410,603, filed Nov. 5, 2010, entitled“Energy-Based Surgical Instruments,” the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

Additionally, some ultrasonic surgical instruments may include anarticulating shaft section and/or a bendable ultrasonic waveguide.Examples of such ultrasonic surgical instruments are disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,897,523, entitled “Articulating Ultrasonic SurgicalInstrument,” issued Apr. 27, 1999, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,264, entitled“Ultrasonic Polyp Snare,” issued Nov. 23, 1999, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,098, entitled“Articulable Ultrasonic Surgical Apparatus,” issued May 16, 2000, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No.6,090,120, entitled “Articulating Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument,”issued Jul. 18, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,782, entitled “Actuation Mechanismfor Surgical Instruments,” issued Sep. 24, 2002, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,200, entitled“Articulating Ultrasonic Surgical Shears,” issued Jul. 8, 2003, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No.6,752,815, entitled “Method and Waveguides for Changing the Direction ofLongitudinal Vibrations,” issued Jun. 22, 2004, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,135,030, entitled“Articulating Ultrasonic Surgical Shears,” issued Nov. 14, 2006; U.S.Pat. No. 7,621,930, entitled “Ultrasound Medical Instrument Having aMedical Ultrasonic Blade,” issued Nov. 24, 2009, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0005701,published Jan. 2, 2014, entitled “Surgical Instruments with ArticulatingShafts,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein;U.S. Pub. No. 2014/005703, entitled “Surgical Instruments withArticulating Shafts,” published Jan. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0114334, entitled“Flexible Harmonic Waveguides/Blades for Surgical Instruments,”published Apr. 24, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0080924, entitled “ArticulationFeatures for Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument,” published Mar. 19, 2015,the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/258,179, entitled “Ultrasonic SurgicalDevice with Articulating End Effector,” filed Apr. 22, 2014, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

While several surgical instruments and systems have been made and used,it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used theinvention described in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims which particularly pointout and distinctly claim this technology, it is believed this technologywill be better understood from the following description of certainexamples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an ultrasonic surgical instrumenthaving a handle assembly, a shaft assembly, and an end effector;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the end effector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged perspective view of a handle assembly of theultrasonic surgical instrument of FIG. 1 having various componentsremoved for improved visibility of a first exemplary transducer slipjoint;

FIG. 4 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view of the handle assemblywith the transducer slip joint of FIG. 3 taken along section line 4-4 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 depicts a front perspective view of a static coupling of thetransducer slip joint of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 depicts a rear perspective view of the static coupling of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 depicts a front perspective view of an electrical contact of thestatic coupling of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 depicts a front perspective view of a dynamic coupling of thetransducer slip joint of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 depicts a rear elevational view of the dynamic coupling of FIG.8;

FIG. 10 depicts a rear sectional perspective view of the dynamiccoupling of FIG. 8 taken along section line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 depicts a rear perspective view of an electrical contact of thedynamic coupling of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view of a handle assembly ofanother ultrasonic surgical instrument, with a second exemplarytransducer slip joint;

FIG. 13 depicts a side elevational view of the transducer slip joint ofFIG. 12;

FIG. 14 depicts a front perspective view of a static coupling of thetransducer slip joint of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 15 depicts a rear perspective view of a dynamic coupling of thetransducer slip joint of FIG. 12.

The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it iscontemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carriedout in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depictedin the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming apart of the specification illustrate several aspects of the presenttechnology, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of the technology; it being understood, however, that thistechnology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of certain examples of the technology shouldnot be used to limit its scope. Other examples, features, aspects,embodiments, and advantages of the technology will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description, which is by wayof illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out thetechnology. As will be realized, the technology described herein iscapable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departingfrom the technology. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions shouldbe regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

It is further understood that any one or more of the teachings,expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may becombined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions,embodiments, examples, etc. that are described herein. Thefollowing-described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc.should therefore not be viewed in isolation relative to each other.Various suitable ways in which the teachings herein may be combined willbe readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theteachings herein. Such modifications and variations are intended to beincluded within the scope of the claims.

For clarity of disclosure, the terms “proximal” and “distal” are definedherein relative to a human or robotic operator of the surgicalinstrument. The term “proximal” refers the position of an element closerto the human or robotic operator of the surgical instrument and furtheraway from the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument. The term“distal” refers to the position of an element closer to the surgical endeffector of the surgical instrument and further away from the human orrobotic operator of the surgical instrument. The terms “proximal” and“distal” are thus relative terms and not intended to unnecessarily limitthe invention described herein.

I. Exemplary Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary ultrasonic surgical instrument (10). At leastpart of instrument (10) may be constructed and operable in accordancewith at least some of the teachings of any of the various patents,patent application publications, and patent applications that are citedherein. As described therein and as will be described in greater detailbelow, instrument (10) is operable to cut tissue and seal or weld tissue(e.g., a blood vessel, etc.) substantially simultaneously.

Instrument (10) of the present example comprises a handle assembly (12),a shaft assembly (14), and an end effector (16). Handle assembly (12)comprises a body (18) including a pistol grip (20) and a pair of buttons(22). Handle assembly (12) also includes a trigger (24) that ispivotable toward and away from pistol grip (20). It should beunderstood, however, that various other suitable configurations may beused, including but not limited to a scissor grip configuration. Endeffector (16) includes an ultrasonic blade (26) and a pivoting clamp arm(28). Clamp arm (28) is coupled with trigger (24) such that clamp arm(28) is pivotable toward ultrasonic blade (26) in response to pivotingof trigger (24) toward pistol grip (20); and such that clamp arm (28) ispivotable away from ultrasonic blade (26) in response to pivoting oftrigger (24) away from pistol grip (20). Various suitable ways in whichclamp arm (28) may be coupled with trigger (24) will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Insome versions, one or more resilient members are used to bias clamp arm(28) and/or trigger (24) to the open position shown in FIG. 1.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, an ultrasonic transducer assembly (30) ispositioned within body (18) of handle assembly (12). Transducer assembly(30) is coupled with a generator (32) via a power cord (33), such thattransducer assembly (30) receives electrical power from generator (32).Power cord (33) may also be referred to as cable (33) as describedherein. Transducer assembly (30) includes a transducer housing (114)that contains an ultrasonic transducer (34) having a plurality ofpiezoelectric elements (36). Piezoelectric elements (36) in transducerassembly (30) convert electrical power from generator (32) intoultrasonic vibrations. Generator (32) may include a power source andcontrol module that is configured to provide a power profile totransducer assembly (30) that is particularly suited for the generationof ultrasonic vibrations through transducer assembly (30). By way ofexample only, generator (32) may comprise a GEN04 or GEN11 sold byEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition, or in thealternative, generator (32) may be constructed in accordance with atleast some of the teachings of U.S. Pub. No. 2011/0087212, entitled“Surgical Generator for Ultrasonic and Electrosurgical Devices,”published Apr. 14, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. It should also be understood that at least some of thefunctionality of generator (32) may be integrated into handle assembly(12), and that handle assembly (12) may even include a battery or otheron-board power source such that cable (14) is omitted, while othercables may alternatively be used for electrically coupling variouscomponents. Still other suitable forms that generator (32) may take, aswell as various features and operabilities that generator (32) mayprovide, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in viewof the teachings herein.

A. Exemplary End Effector and Shaft Assembly

As best seen in FIGS. 1-2, end effector (16) of this example comprises aclamp arm (28) and ultrasonic blade (28) as discussed briefly above.Clamp arm (28) includes a clamp pad (37), which faces blade (26). Clamparm (28) is pivotable toward and away from blade (26) to selectivelycompress tissue between clamp pad (37) and blade (26). Moreparticularly, blade (26) is an integral feature of a distal end of anacoustic waveguide (38), which extends coaxially through tubes (40, 42),and which is configured to communicate ultrasonic vibrations to blade(26) as will be described in greater detail below.

Shaft assembly (14) comprises an outer tube (40) and an inner tube (42).Outer tube (40) is operable to translate longitudinally relative toinner tube (42) to selectively pivot clamp arm (28) toward and away fromblade (26). To accomplish this, and as best seen in FIG. 2, integral pinfeatures (not shown) extending inwardly from respective projections (44)of clamp arm (28) pivotally secure a first portion of clamp arm (28) toa distally projecting tongue (46) of outer tube (40); while an insertedpin (48) pivotally secures a second portion of clamp arm (28) to adistally projecting tongue (50) of inner tube (42). Thus, tubes (40, 42)cooperate to pivot clamp arm (28) toward blade (26) when outer tube (40)is retracted proximally relative to inner tube (42). It should beunderstood that clamp arm (28) may be pivoted back away from blade (26)by translating outer tube (40) distally relative to inner tube (42). Inan exemplary use, clamp arm (28) may be pivoted toward blade (26) tograsp, compress, seal, and sever tissue captured between clamp pad (37)and blade (26). Clamp arm (28) may be pivoted away from blade (26) torelease tissue from between clamp pad (37) and blade (26); and/or toperform blunt dissection of tissue engaging opposing outer surfaces ofclamp arm (28) and blade (26). In some alternative versions, inner tube(42) translates while outer tube (40) remains stationary to providepivotal movement of clamp arm (28).

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, shaft assembly (14) of the present exampleextends distally from handle assembly (12). A rotation control assembly(52) has rotation control member in the form of rotation control knob(54), which is secured to a proximal portion of outer tube (40). Knob(54) is rotatable relative to body (18), such that shaft assembly (14)is rotatable about the longitudinal axis defined by outer tube (40),relative to handle assembly (12). Such rotation may provide rotation ofend effector (16) and shaft assembly (30) unitarily, which also includesunitary rotation of acoustic waveguide (38) coupled with transducerassembly (30) within handle assembly (12). In alternative embodiment,various rotatable features may simply be omitted and/or replaced withalternative rotatable features, if desired. While the present shaftassembly (14) is generally rigid and linear, it will be appreciated thatalternative shaft assemblies may include an articulation section (notshown) for deflecting end effector (16) at various lateral deflectionangles relative to a longitudinal axis defined by outer tube (40). Itwill be appreciated that articulation section (not shown) may take avariety of forms. By way of example only, articulation section (nowshown) may be configured in accordance with one or more teachings ofU.S. Pub. No. 2012/0078247, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. As another merely illustrative example, articulationsection (not shown) may be configured in accordance with one or moreteachings of U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0005701 and/or U.S. Pub. No.2014/0114334, the disclosures of which are incorporated by referenceherein. Various other suitable forms that articulation section (notshown) may take will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artin view of the teachings herein.

Furthermore, in the present example, shaft assembly (14) and endeffector (16) extending distally therefrom are replaceable components.Shaft assembly (14) may thus be detached from handle assembly (12) afteruse for disposal and replaced with another assembly, such as anothershaft assembly (14) and end effector (16), for further use.Alternatively, shaft assembly (14) may be integrally connected withhandle assembly (12) such that the entirety of surgical instrument (10)may be reusable or simply disposable after a predetermined number ofuses. In any case the invention described herein is not intended to belimited to use with only replaceable or reusable components as describedherein.

B. Exemplary Handle Assembly

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, handle assembly (12) is reusable as discussedabove and comprises body (18) defined by a pair of complementaryhousings (56) joined together. Housings (56) collectively define pistolgrip (20) and includes a cord support base (58) through which cable (33)extends between transducer assembly (30) and generator (32). While body(18) includes pistol grip (20) in this example, it should be understoodthat any other suitable kind of grip may be used.

Waveguide (38) extends proximally through knob (54) and into body (18)to mechanically couple with transducer assembly (30). When waveguide(38) is sufficiently coupled with transducer assembly (30), ultrasonicvibrations that are generated by transducer assembly (30) arecommunicated along waveguide (38) to reach blade (26). In the presentexample, the distal end of blade (26) is located at a positioncorresponding to an anti-node associated with resonant ultrasonicvibrations communicated through waveguide (38), in order to tune theacoustic assembly to a preferred resonant frequency f₀ when the acousticassembly is not loaded by tissue. When transducer assembly (30) isenergized, the distal end of blade (26) is configured to movelongitudinally in the range of, for example, approximately 10 to 500microns peak-to-peak, and in some instances in the range of about 20 toabout 200 microns at a predetermined vibratory frequency f₀ of, forexample, 55.5 kHz. When transducer assembly (30) of the present exampleis activated, these mechanical oscillations are transmitted throughwaveguide (38) to reach blade (26), thereby providing oscillation ofblade (26) at the resonant ultrasonic frequency. Thus, when tissue issecured between blade (26) and clamp pad (37), the ultrasonicoscillation of blade (26) may simultaneously sever the tissue anddenature the proteins in adjacent tissue cells, thereby providing acoagulative effect with relatively little thermal spread. In someversions, an electrical current may also be provided through blade (26)and/or clamp pad (37) to also seal the tissue.

Further exemplary features and operabilities for disposable and/orreusable portions of surgical instrument (10) will be described ingreater detail below, while other variations will be apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings.

II. Transducer Assembly Rotation and Reduced Cord Wind

As described above with respect to surgical instrument (10), selectiverotation of knob (54) collectively rotates the remainder of shaftassembly (14), end effector (16), waveguide (38), and transducerassembly (30) relative to handle assembly (12). In turn, cable (33),which is electrically and mechanically coupled with transducer assembly(30), may similarly rotate in various examples to accommodate rotationof transducer assembly (30). However, cable (33) may be rigidlyconnected to generator (32), body (18) of handle assembly (12), or anyother component, which may cause the cable (33) to wind between therotatable transducer assembly (30) and such a rigid, non-rotatableconnection. Such cable wind may generate a reactionary torque withincable (33) that reduces a user's ability to selectively rotate endeffector (16) via knob (54) during use. Moreover, continuous cable windmay further deteriorate the structural integrity of cable (33),resulting in decreased performance and even permanent damage to surgicalinstrument (10).

It may thus be desirable to provide a rotatable slip coupling betweentransducer assembly (30) and cable (33) such that transducer assembly(30) is configured to rotate relative to cable (33) to reduce thelikelihood of cable wind. Various alternative connectors for providing arotatable slip coupling are described in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2012/0116261and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2013/0090675, the disclosures of which areincorporated by reference herein. While these various alternativeconnectors may be desirable in some instances, it will be appreciatedthat such alternative connectors may not be as desirable for one or morereasons depending on the particulars of the surgical instrument. Thefollowing description thus relates to a first exemplary slip joint (110)and a second exemplary slip joint (310) for use with surgical instrument(10) discussed above in greater detail. Each of slip joints (110, 310)is configured to electrically and mechanically connect cable (33) totransducer assembly (30) relative to the cable (33) for inhibiting cable(33) from winding upon rotation of transducer assembly (30).Accordingly, like numbers described herein indicate like features withrespect to each exemplary slip joint (110, 310). It should be understoodthat each slip joint (110, 310) is configured to enable free rotation oftransducer assembly (30) relative to cable (33) while providingcontinuous electrical continuity between transducer assembly (30) andcable (33).

A. First Exemplary Slip Joint

FIGS. 3-4 show a first exemplary slip joint (110) connected withtransducer assembly (30) having a transducer (112) contained withintransducer housing (114), which may also be referred to as a transducercan. Slip joint (110) is integrated into a distal portion (116) oftransducer housing (114) having a proximal hollow (118) and an adjacentdistal hollow (120). Proximal hollow (118) extends between distal hollow(120) and a proximal opening (122) to the exterior of transducer housing(114) within body (18). In the present example, slip joint (110) ispositioned generally within distal hollow (120) and proximal hollow(122) along the longitudinal axis. More particularly, slip joint (110),distal hollow (120), and proximal hollow (122) are concentricallyaligned along the longitudinal axis, and distal hollow (120) has alarger diameter than proximal hollow (122).

Transducer housing (114) defines an outer profile about the longitudinalaxis in a plane that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. Slip joint(110) is integrated into distal portion (116) of transducer housing(114) such that slip joint (110) is transversely sized to fit within theouter profile of transducer housing (114). In the present example, anouter profile in the transverse plane of slip joint (110) is smallerthan the outer profile of transducer housing (114) about thelongitudinal axis. In addition, transducer (34) with piezoelectricelements (36) also defines an outer profile in the transverse plane thatis smaller than the outer profile of transducer housing (114). By way offurther example, the outer profile of the transducer (34) withpiezoelectric elements (36) is larger than the outer profile of slipjoint (110).

As used herein, the phrase “fit within” with respect to outer profilesalso includes one or more outer profiles overlapping with another outerprofile in addition to smaller outer profiles that “fit within.” Forexample, an exemplary outer profile of another slip joint may be thesame as an exemplary outer profile of another transducer housing andstill be considered to “fit within” the outer profile of the transducerhousing. The invention is thus not intended to be unnecessarily limitedto one outer profile being smaller than an another other profile to fittherein and may include one outer profile that overlaps with anotherouter profile.

Cable (33) rigidly connects to body (18) at cord support base (58),which is configured to support cable (33) in use and reduce stressconcentrations from accumulating in the cable (33) at the connectionwith body (18). Cable (33) generally includes an outer cover (124) thatshields at least a pair of wires (126). In some versions, wires (126)are respectively positive and negative wires (126) that extend fromgenerator (32) (see FIG. 1) for delivering electrical power therealongto transducer assembly (30) via slip joint (110). It should beunderstood that various other kinds of wires may also be contained incable (33), including but not limited to wires that providecommunication of data in addition to or in lieu of providingcommunication of operating power.

To this end, slip joint (110) includes a proximal coupling (128)positioned in proximal hollow (118) and a distal coupling (130)positioned within distal hollow (120). Proximal and distal couplings(128, 130) are more particularly static and dynamic couplings (128,130), respectively, as each relates to body (18). In other words, staticcoupling (128) is rotationally fixed about the longitudinal axisrelative to body (18), whereas dynamic coupling (130) is fixed withrotatable transducer housing (114) to rotate about the longitudinal axisrelative to body (18). While static coupling (128) is generally fixed soas not to rotate relative to body (18) or cable (33), alterativeproximal couplings may rotate or otherwise move to some extent so longas these alternative proximal couplings are limited in movement, therebyinhibiting cable (33) from overly winding to either decrease performanceand/or damage cable (33). Proximal coupling (128) is thus not intendedto be unnecessarily limited to one fixed position in accordance with theinvention described herein. In any case, static coupling (128) receiveselectrical operating power from positive and negative wires (126) anddirects electrical power to dynamic coupling (130) for poweringtransducer assembly (30). Transducer housing (114) in turn mechanicallysupports static and dynamic couplings (128, 130) against each other totransmit the electrical power therebetween while providing for relativemotion between static and dynamic couplings (128, 130).

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, static coupling (128) includes a static body(132) having a series of annular portions narrowing in the distaldirection along the longitudinal axis. The series of annular portionsfrom the largest diameter proximal portion to the smallest diameterdistal portion more particularly includes a proximal flange (134), anelectrical potting well (136), a connection collar (138), an outer post(140), and an inner post (142). Static body (132) of the present exampleis integrally and unitarily formed of an electrically non-conductivematerial so as inhibit electrical power from inadvertently passingtherethrough and shorting the electrical power supplied by wires (126).Of course, it will be appreciated that static body (132) may bealternatively formed of various components assembled together usingknown fasteners and/or other mechanically coupled structures.

While static body (132) is electrically non-conductive, static coupling(128) further includes electrically conductive contacts, also referredto herein as outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146). Outer and innercable contacts (144, 146), described below in additional detail, arerespectively secured to outer and inner posts (140, 142) to respectivelydefine outer and inner terminals (148, 150). Outer and inner terminals(148, 150) of the present example correspond to positive and negativeterminals (148, 150) configured to electrically connect to positive andnegative wires (126). Of course, alternative wiring for reversing thepolarity of these terminals (148, 150) may be used as desired forproperly coupling electrical power from cable (33) to transducerassembly (30) in other examples.

Static body (132) is configured to be inserted distally through proximalopening (122) of transducer housing (114) into proximal hollow (118)until proximal flange (134) abuts against transducer housing (114) tolimit further insertion. Proximal flange (134) also includes a pair ofopposing tabs (152) configured to engage body (18) to inhibit rotationof the static body (132) relative to body (18). Each housing (56)includes a pair of longitudinally extending interior ribs (154) defininga longitudinal slot (156) therebetween. Each longitudinal slot (156)receives the respective tab (152) extending from proximal flange (134)such that static body (132) may longitudinally slide for insertionand/or removal within longitudinal slot (156), while ribs (154)rotatably engage with tabs (152) to thereby inhibit rotation of staticbody (132) relative to housings (56).

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, electrical potting well (136) extends distallyfrom proximal flange (134) and defines an inner bore (158) in which tomechanically mount wires (126) for electrical connection with outer andinner cable contacts (144, 146). A pair of contact bases (160) extendlongitudinally within electrical potting well (136) about inner bore(158) and are configured to receive proximal contact members (162) ofouter and inner cable contacts (144, 146), as described below in greaterdetail. Electrical potting well (136) thereby provides space formechanically mounting wires (126), and it will be appreciated that anyknow structure for mounting wires (126) within electrical potting well(136), such as directly to proximal contact members (162), may be usedin accordance with the invention.

An outer surface of electrical potting well (136) is further configuredto receive an annular dynamic seal (163) for inhibiting foreign matter,such as debris and/or fluid, from passing distally beyond annulardynamic seal (163) and further into proximal hollow (118). The proximalend of transducer housing (114) includes an annular proximal groove(164) configured to receive annular dynamic seal (163) that surroundsproximal opening (122) and is concentrically aligned along thelongitudinal axis. Annular dynamic seal (163) is thereby positionedbetween the outer surface of electrical potting well (136) and the innersurface of transducer housing (114). In addition, annular dynamic seal(163) is configured to provide for relative rotation between transducerhousing (114) and static coupling (128) while still inhibiting thedistal passage of foreign matter toward transducer (112). As will bedescribed below, additional seals may be used in accordance with theinvention herein for inhibiting foreign matter from being introducedinto various parts of slip joint (110) and transducer assembly (30). Ofcourse, alternative examples may use more seals or even no seals so longas slip joint (110) and transducer assembly (30) are operational in viewof a desirable use. The invention is thus not intended to beunnecessarily limited to the seal arrangements described herein.

Connection collar (138) extends distally from electrical potting well(136) and includes a plurality longitudinally extending support guides(165) and a plurality of longitudinally extending snaps (166). Supportguides (165) and snaps (166) are angularly positioned about connectioncollar (138) and alternate with one snap (166) between a pair of supportguides (165) and vice versa. Exemplary connection collar (138) includesfour support guides (165) and four snaps (166). Each snap (166)resiliently extends from electrical potting well (136) and is configuredto deflect radially inward upon initial insertion into transducerhousing (114), which includes an interior annular lip (168). As proximalflange (134) approaches transducer housing (114) during insertion ofstatic body (132), resilient snaps (166) bias radially outward andengage interior annular lip (168) to limit proximal translation ofstatic body (132) relative to transducer housing (114). Thus, snaps(166) and proximal flange (134) of static coupling (128) cooperaterespectively with interior annular lip (168) and a proximal end oftransducer housing (114) to longitudinally fix static coupling (128) totransducer housing (114). While the present example includes snaps (166)for longitudinally engaging transducer housing (114), it will beappreciated that alternative fasteners may be used for such securement,and the invention described herein is not intended to be unnecessarilylimited to snaps (166).

While static coupling (128) is longitudinally fixed relative totransducer housing (114), transducer housing (114) and static coupling(128) remain configured for relative rotation. More particularly, snaps(166) longitudinally overlap with interior annular lip (168) to limitlongitudinal movement, but snaps (116) provide little to no rotationalengagement with transducer housing (114). Even in the event of somefrictional engagement between connection collar (138) and transducerhousing (114), transducer housing (114) is still configured to rotaterelative to static coupling (128). In some examples, slip joint (110)may further include various coatings on one or more surfaces prone torelative rotation therebetween to reduce friction during use. In anycase, transducer housing (114) is generally configured to freely rotateon connection collar (138) as desired.

Outer post (140) is rigidly connected to connection collar (138)radially inward from support guides (165) and extends distallytherefrom. Similarly, inner post is rigidly connected to outer post(140) radially inward therefrom and extends distally toward dynamiccoupling (130). Each outer and inner post (140, 142) is generallycylindrical with respective distal annular surfaces (not shown). Each ofthe distal annular surfaces (not shown) respectively receives outer andinner cable contacts (144, 146) as shown in FIGS. 5-7. Moreparticularly, outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146) have respectivedistal annular rings (174) that circumscribe distal annular surfaces(not shown) for providing electrical connection regardless of therotational position of dynamic coupling (130) relative to staticcoupling (128). Proximal contact members (162) extend proximally fromdistal annular rings (174) into electrical potting well (136) forconnection with wires (126) as discussed above. In addition, a pluralityof anchor members (176) also proximally extend from distal annular ring(174) and are configured to secure outer and inner cable contacts (144,146) to outer and inner posts (140, 142) to form outer and innerterminals (148, 150). In one example, distal annular ring (174), anchormembers (176), and proximal contact member (162) are unitarily andintegrally formed together from an electrically conductive material andmay be gold plated for additional conductivity. However, it will beappreciated that alternative construction of various components forforming outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146) may also be used withother examples. The invention described herein is thus not intended tobe unnecessarily limited to the unitarily and integrally formed outerand inner cable contacts (144, 146) shown in the present example.

FIGS. 4 and 8-11 show first exemplary dynamic coupling (130) in greaterdetail. To this end, dynamic coupling (130) includes a dynamic body(178) with a generally cylindrical shape. Dynamic body (178) includes aproximal face (180) configured to receive static coupling (128), adistal face (182) configured to abut against transducer (112), and anouter annular surface (186) configured to secure within transducerhousing (114). Outer annular surface (186) of the present exampleincludes a plurality of outer threads (188) that threadably engage aplurality of inner threads (190) circumscribing distal hollow (120).During installation within distal hollow (120), dynamic coupling (130)is rotatably driven proximally until proximal face (180) of dynamic body(178) engages a seat (192) within distal hollow (120) of transducerhousing (114). Distal face (182) of the present example further includesa linear slot (194) for further tool grip during installation. Inaddition, a static seal (195) surrounds a portion of outer annularsurface (186) within an annular groove (196) between a pair of outerannular flanges (197). An inner surface of dynamic body (178) thuscompresses against static seal (195) for further sealing transducer(112) and inhibiting distal transmission of foreign matter across staticseal (195) that may have passed by dynamic seal (163) (see FIG. 4).

Dynamic body (178) further includes an outer bore (198) and an innerbore (200). Outer bore (198) has a larger diameter than inner bore(200), but is generally shallower than inner bore (200). Outer and innerbores (198, 200) are concentrically aligned along the longitudinal axisand positioned to respectively receive outer and inner terminals (148,150) of static coupling (128). In addition, outer and inner bore (198,200) have respective annular transducer contacts (204 a, 204 b) mountedtherein. Each transducer contact (204 a, 204 b) includes a plurality ofresilient and inwardly extending contact arms (206) angularly positionedabout outer and inner bores (198, 200) to extend toward and contactouter and inner cable contacts (144, 146) of static coupling (128) forelectrical communication therebetween. While the exemplary transducercontacts (204 a, 204 b) each have four contact arms (206) equiangularlypositioned about outer and inner bores (198, 200), it will beappreciated that alternative numbers and positioning for transducercontacts (204 a, 204 b) may be placed as desired for maintainingelectrical communication with outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146).

Each transducer contact (204 a, 204 b) further includes a distal contactmember (208) that distally extends through proximal face (180) to distalface (182). Specifically, each distal contact member (208) distallyterminates within a distal potting well (210) on distal face (182). Eachdistal potting well (210) is configured to provide sufficient space inwhich to electrically connect transducer (112) to transducer contacts(204 a, 204 b), such as by additional wires (212). Each transducercontact (204 a, 204 b) also has a pair of opposing anchor members (214)to rigidly secure each transducer contact (204 a, 204 b) respectivelywithin each outer and inner bore (198, 200).

As shown and described herein with respect to the present example,transducer contacts (204 a, 204 b) define an outer profile about thelongitudinal axis in a plane that is transverse to the longitudinalaxis, and outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146) each respectivelydefine outer profiles about the longitudinal axis in a plane that istransverse to the longitudinal axis. The outer profiles for eachtransducer contact (204 a, 204 b) and outer and inner cable contacts(144, 146) are smaller than the outer profile of transducer (34) withpiezoelectric elements (36) as well as transducer housing (114). Inaddition, the outer and inner cable contacts (144, 146) are also smallerthan the respective outer profiles of transducer contacts (204 a, 204b). Accordingly, the outer profiles of outer and inner cable contacts(144, 146) and transducer contacts (204 a, 204 b) are all nested withinthe outer profiles of transducer (34) and transducer housing (114) forreducing the size of transducer assembly (30) and slip joint (110). Theoverall size of body (18) for containing transducer assembly (30) andslip joint (110) is thus reduced about the longitudinal axis as comparedto alternative slip joints that surround transducer assembly (30) forsmaller, more convenient containment that may be more easily manipulatedby the user.

In use, FIGS. 3-11 show transducer assembly (30) mechanically andelectrically coupled with cable (33) via slip joint (110). Duringmanipulation of surgical instrument (10) and treatment of a patient, theuser selectively rotates knob (54) for positioning end effector (16) ata desirable angular orientation about the longitudinal axis of shaftassembly (14). In doing so, the user also collectively rotates shaftassembly (14), waveguide (38), and transducer assembly (30) about thelongitudinal axis of shaft assembly (14). Dynamic coupling (130), whichis electrically and mechanically coupled with transducer (112), alsorotates with transducer assembly (30), whereas static coupling (128)remains rotationally fixed relative to instrument body (18). Moreparticularly, interior ribs (154) engage tabs (152) to inhibit rotationof static coupling (128) while longitudinally fixed within distalportion (116) of transducer housing (114) through proximal opening(122).

In order to maintain electrical communication between static and dynamiccouplings (128, 130), contact arms (206) of transducer contacts (204 a,204 b) remain radially biased against outer and inner cable contacts(144, 146) as contact arms (206) rotate about outer and inner cablecontacts (144, 146). The user may thus move transducer assembly (30) toany rotational position about the longitudinal axis and contact arms(206) will remain in physical contact with outer and inner cablecontacts (144, 146) to maintain electrical communication betweentransducer (112) and cable (33).

While dynamic coupling (130) rotates, static coupling (128) remainsstationary relative to instrument body (18). Cable (33) with wires (126)connected to static coupling (138) is thus inhibited from rotatingrelative to instrument body (18) in order to further inhibit cable (33)from winding during rotation of transducer assembly (30).

B. Second Exemplary Slip Joint

FIGS. 12-15 show a second exemplary slip joint (310) connected withtransducer assembly (30). Transducer assembly (30) has transducer (112)contained within a transducer housing (314). Slip joint (310) isintegrated into a distal portion (316) of transducer housing (314)having a proximal hollow (318) and an adjacent distal hollow (320).Proximal hollow (318) extends between distal hollow (320) and a proximalopening (322) to the exterior of transducer housing (314) within body(18). In the present example, slip joint (310) is positioned generallywithin distal hollow (320) and proximal hollow (322) along thelongitudinal axis. More particularly, slip joint (310), distal hollow(320), and proximal hollow (322) are concentrically aligned along thelongitudinal axis, and distal hollow (320) has a larger diameter thanproximal hollow (322).

Transducer housing (314) defines an outer profile about the longitudinalaxis in a plane that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. Slip joint(310) is integrated into distal portion (316) of transducer housing(314) such that slip joint (310) is transversely sized to fit within theouter profile of transducer housing (314). In the present example, anouter profile in the transverse plane of slip joint (310) is smallerthan the outer profile of transducer housing (314) about thelongitudinal axis. In addition, transducer (34) with piezoelectricelements (36) also defines an outer profile in the transverse plane thatis smaller than the outer profile of transducer housing (314). By way offurther example, the outer profile of the transducer (34) withpiezoelectric elements (36) is larger than the outer profile of slipjoint (310).

Similar to slip joint (110) (see FIG. 4), slip joint (310) also includesa proximal static coupling (328) positioned in proximal hollow (318) anda distal dynamic coupling (330) positioned within distal hollow (320).Static coupling (328) receives electrical power from positive andnegative wires (126) and directs electrical power to dynamic coupling(330) for powering transducer assembly (30). Transducer housing (314) inturn mechanically supports static and dynamic couplings (328, 330)against each other to transmit the electrical power therebetween whileproviding for relative motion between static and dynamic couplings (328,330).

As shown in FIGS. 12-14, static coupling (328) includes a static body(332) having a series of annular portions narrowing in the proximaldirection along the longitudinal axis. The series of annular portionsfrom the smallest diameter proximal portion to the largest diameterdistal portion more particularly includes an electrical potting well(336), a cylindrical neck (338), and a distal cylindrical wall (340).Static body (332) of the present example is integrally and unitarilyformed of an electrically non-conductive material so as inhibitelectrical power from inadvertently passing therethrough and shortingthe electrical power supplied by wires (126). Of course, it will beappreciated that static body (332) may be alternatively formed ofvarious components assembled together using known fasteners and/or othermechanically coupled structures.

While static body (332) is electrically non-conductive, static coupling(128) further includes outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346). Outerand inner cable contacts (344, 346), described below in additionaldetail, are respectively secured within outer and inner annular grooves(341, 342) on a distal face (343) to respectively define outer and innerterminals (348, 350). Outer and inner terminals (348, 350) of thepresent example correspond to positive and negative terminals (348, 350)configured to electrically connect to positive and negative wires (126).Of course, alternative wiring for reversing the polarity of theseterminals (348, 350) may be used as desired for properly couplingelectrical power from cable (34) to transducer assembly (30) in otherexamples.

Static body (332) is configured to be inserted proximally throughproximal opening (122) of transducer housing (114) by way of distal andproximal hollows (320, 318) until distal cylindrical wall (340) abutsagainst transducer housing (314) within distal hollow (320) to limitfurther insertion. Specifically, electrical potting well (336) projectsthrough proximal opening (322) and proximally from transducer housing(314). An outer surface of electrical potting well (336) includes aplurality of threads (352) configured to threadably receive a fastener,such as a wingnut (353) having a pair of opposing tabs (353) configuredto engage body (18) for inhibiting rotation of wingnut (353) and staticbody (332) relative to body (18). Body (18) includes a pair of upper andlower interior ribs (354) defining a transverse slot (356) therebetween.Each transverse slot (356) receives the respective tab (353) of wingnut(352), while ribs (354) rotatably engage with tabs (353) to therebyinhibit rotation of static body (332) relative to body (18).

Electrical potting well (336) defines an inner bore (358) in which tomechanically mount wires (126) for electrical connection with outer andinner cable contacts (344, 346). A pair of contact channels (360) extendlongitudinally from distal face (343) through neck (338) and toelectrical potting well (336) and are configured to receive proximalcontact members (362) of outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346), asdescribed below in greater detail. Electrical potting well (336) therebyprovides space for mechanically mounting wires (126), and it will beappreciated that any know structure for mounting wires (126) withinelectrical potting well (336), such as directly to proximal contactmembers (362), may be used in accordance with the invention.

Neck (338) extends distally from electrical potting well (36) to distalcylindrical wall (340) for a rigid connection therebetween throughproximal hollow (318). Neck (338) is further configured to receive anannular dynamic seal (363) for inhibiting foreign matter, such as debrisand/or fluid, from passing distally beyond annular dynamic seal (363)and further into proximal hollow (318). Neck (338) includes an annularproximal groove (364) configured to receive annular dynamic seal (363)that circumscribes proximal hollow (318) against an inner surface oftransducer housing (314). In the present example, annular dynamic seal(363) is concentrically aligned along the longitudinal axis positionedbetween the outer surface of neck (338) and the inner surface oftransducer housing (314). In addition, annular dynamic seal (363) isconfigured to provide for relative rotation between transducer housing(314) and static coupling (328) while still inhibiting the distalpassage of foreign matter fluid toward transducer (112).

With distal cylindrical wall (340) positioned distally adjacent toproximal hollow (320), wingnut (352) positioned proximally adjacent toproximal hollow (320), and neck (338) extending therebetween, staticcoupling (328) is longitudinally fixed relative to transducer housing(314), but still configured for relative rotation. To aid with relativerotation, engagement surfaces prone to generate friction between staticcoupling (328) and transducer housing (314) may be coated in with alow-friction coating, such as silicon. Still, even in the event of somefrictional engagement between static coupling (328) and transducerhousing (314), transducer housing (314) is still configured to rotaterelative to static coupling (328).

Distal cylindrical wall (340) distally extends from neck (338) to adistal face (343) that includes outer and inner terminals (348, 350).More particularly, outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346)respectively include outer and inner annular rings (370, 372) havingproximal contact members (362) extending proximally into electricalpotting well (336) for connection with wires (126) as discussed above.In the present example, outer annular ring (370) has a larger diameterthan inner annular ring (372) and inner annular ring (372) is positionedconcentrically within outer annular ring (370). In addition, a pluralityof anchor members (376) also proximally extend from outer and innerannular rings (370, 372) and are configured to secure outer and innercable contacts (344, 346) distal face (343) within outer and innerannular grooves (341, 342) to form outer and inner terminals (348, 350).In some versions, each of the outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346)are unitarily and integrally formed from an electrically conductivematerial and may be gold plated for additional conductivity. However, itwill be appreciated that alternative construction of various componentsfor forming outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346) may also be usedwith other examples. The invention described herein is thus not intendedto be unnecessarily limited to the unitarily and integrally formed outerand inner cable contacts (344, 346) shown in the present example.

FIGS. 12, 13, and 15 show first exemplary dynamic coupling (330) ingreater detail. To this end, dynamic coupling (330) includes a dynamicbody (378) with a generally cylindrical shape. Dynamic body (378)includes a proximal face (380) configured to receive static coupling(328), a distal face (382) configured to abut against transducer (112),and an outer annular surface (386) configured to secure withintransducer housing (314). Outer annular surface (386) of the presentexample includes a plurality of outer threads (388) that threadablyengage a plurality of inner threads (390) circumscribing distal hollow(320). During installation within distal hollow (320), dynamic coupling(330) is rotatably driven proximally until proximal face (380) ofdynamic body (378) engages a seat (392) within distal hollow (320) oftransducer housing (314). Distal face (182) of the present examplefurther includes mechanically engageable recess (394), such as a hexrecess, for tool grip during installation.

Dynamic body (178) further includes an outer bore (398) positionedradially outward from an inner bore (400). Outer bore (398) radiallyaligns with outer cable contact (344) about the longitudinal axis,whereas inner bore (400) radially aligns with inner cable contact (346)about the longitudinal axis. Each outer and inner bore (398, 400)receives a transducer contact (404) with a plurality of resilient andproximally extending contact arms (406). Contact arms (406) are therebypositioned to extend proximally and contact outer and inner cablecontacts (344, 346) of static coupling (328) for electricalcommunication therebetween.

Each transducer contact (404) further includes a distal contact member(408) that distally extends from arms (406) from proximal face (380) todistal face (382). Specifically, each distal contact member (308)distally terminates within a distal potting well (410) on distal face(482). Each distal potting well (410) is configured to providesufficient space in which to electrically connect transducer (412) totransducer contacts (404), such as by additional wires (412). Eachtransducer contact (404) also has a pair of opposing anchor members (notshown) to rigidly secure each transducer contact (404) within itsrespective outer and inner bore (398, 400).

As shown and described herein with respect to the present example,transducer contacts (404) define an outer profile about the longitudinalaxis in a plane that is transverse to the longitudinal axis, and outerand inner cable contacts (344, 346) each respectively define outerprofiles about the longitudinal axis in a plane that is transverse tothe longitudinal axis. The outer profiles for each transducer contact(404) and outer and inner cable contacts (344, 346) are smaller than theouter profile of transducer (34) with piezoelectric elements (36) aswell as transducer housing (414). Accordingly, the outer profiles ofouter and inner cable contacts (344, 346) and transducer contacts (404)are all nested within the outer profiles of transducer (34) andtransducer housing (314) for reducing the size of transducer assembly(30) and slip joint (310). The overall size of body (18) for containingtransducer assembly (30) and slip joint (310) is thus reduced about thelongitudinal axis as compared to alternative slip joints that surroundtransducer assembly (30) for smaller, more convenient containment thatmay be more easily manipulated by the user.

In use, FIGS. 12-15 show transducer assembly (30) mechanically andelectrically coupled with cable (33) via slip joint (310). Duringmanipulation of surgical instrument (10) and treatment of a patient, theuser selectively rotates knob (54) for positioning end effector (16) ata desirable angular orientation about the longitudinal axis of shaftassembly (14). In doing so, the user also collectively rotates shaftassembly (14), waveguide (38), and transducer assembly (30) about thelongitudinal axis of shaft assembly (14). Dynamic coupling (330), whichis electrically and mechanically coupled with transducer (112), alsorotates with transducer assembly (30), whereas static coupling (328)remains rotationally fixed relative to instrument body (18). Moreparticularly, upper and lower interior ribs (354) engage tabs (352) toinhibit rotation of static coupling (328) while longitudinally fixedwithin distal portion (316) of transducer housing (314) through proximalopening (322).

In order to maintain electrical communication between static and dynamiccouplings (328, 330), contact arms (406) of outer and inner transducercontacts (404) remain proximally biased against outer and inner cablecontacts (344, 346) as contact arms (406) rotate about outer and innercable contacts (344, 346). The user may thus move transducer assembly(30) to any rotational position about the longitudinal axis and contactarms (406) will remain in physical contact with outer and inner cablecontacts (344, 346) to maintain electrical communication betweentransducer (112) and cable (33).

While dynamic coupling (330) rotates, static coupling (328) remainsstationary relative to instrument body (18). Cable (33) with wires (126)connected to static coupling (338) is thus inhibited from rotatingrelative to instrument body (18) in order to further inhibit cable (33)from winding during rotation of transducer assembly (30).

III. Exemplary Combinations

The following examples relate to various non-exhaustive ways in whichthe teachings herein may be combined or applied. It should be understoodthat the following examples are not intended to restrict the coverage ofany claims that may be presented at any time in this application or insubsequent filings of this application. No disclaimer is intended. Thefollowing examples are being provided for nothing more than merelyillustrative purposes. It is contemplated that the various teachingsherein may be arranged and applied in numerous other ways. It is alsocontemplated that some variations may omit certain features referred toin the below examples. Therefore, none of the aspects or featuresreferred to below should be deemed critical unless otherwise explicitlyindicated as such at a later date by the inventors or by a successor ininterest to the inventors. If any claims are presented in thisapplication or in subsequent filings related to this application thatinclude additional features beyond those referred to below, thoseadditional features shall not be presumed to have been added for anyreason relating to patentability.

Example 1

A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) an instrument body; (b) anultrasonic transducer assembly rotatably mounted along a longitudinalaxis within the instrument body such that the ultrasonic transducerassembly is configured to selectively rotate about the longitudinalaxis, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly defines a first outerprofile that is transverse to the longitudinal axis; (c) a power cordprojecting from the instrument body and configured to provide electricalpower to the ultrasonic transducer assembly for operating an acousticwaveguide; and (d) a transducer slip joint positioned between the powercord and the ultrasonic transducer assembly and defining a second outerprofile that is transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein thetransducer slip joint is configured to electrically connect the powercord to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and mechanically connect thepower cord to the ultrasonic transducer assembly such that theultrasonic transducer assembly is configured to selectively rotaterelative to the power cord for inhibiting the power cord from windingupon rotation of the ultrasonic transducer assembly relative to theinstrument body, wherein the second outer profile fits within the firstouter profile of the ultrasonic transducer assembly.

Example 2

The surgical instrument of Example 1, wherein the transducer slip jointincludes: (i) a proximal coupling affixed to the power cord and having afirst electrical cord contact and a second electrical cord contact,wherein each of the first and second electrical cord contacts areelectrically connected to the power cord, wherein at least one of thefirst and second electrical cord contacts provides at least one distallyoriented electrical contact, and (ii) a distal coupling affixed to theultrasonic transducer assembly and having a first electrical transducercontact and a second electrical transducer contact, wherein each of thefirst and second electrical transducer contacts is electricallyconnected to the ultrasonic transducer assembly, wherein at least one ofthe first and second electrical transducer contacts provides at leastone proximally oriented electrical contact, wherein the at least onedistally oriented electrical contact is configured to slidingly engagethe at least one proximally oriented electrical contact, wherein theproximal and distal couplings are secured together such that the distalcoupling is configured to rotate with the ultrasonic transducer assemblyrelative to the proximal coupling while maintaining electricalconnections between the first electrical cord contact and the firstelectrical transducer contact as well as the second electrical cordcontact and the second electrical transducer contact.

Example 3

The surgical instrument of Example 2, wherein the proximal and distalcouplings are positioned axially along the longitudinal axis such thatthe distal coupling is configured to rotate relative to the proximalcoupling about the longitudinal axis.

Example 4

The surgical instrument of Example 3, wherein the proximal and distalcouplings are further secured together such that the proximal couplingis longitudinally fixed to the distal coupling along the longitudinalaxis.

Example 5

The surgical instrument of Example 4, wherein the proximal coupling isengaged with the instrument body to inhibit the proximal coupling fromrotating within the instrument body.

Example 6

The surgical instrument of Example 5, wherein the instrument bodyincludes an interior rib and the proximal coupling further includes aproximal body and a tab extending radially outwardly from the proximalbody, wherein the interior rib is configured to receive the tabthereagainst such that the interior rib inhibits the proximal couplingfrom rotating within the instrument body.

Example 7

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 5 through 6,wherein the instrument body includes an interior rib and the proximalcoupling further includes a proximal body and a wingnut threadedthereon, wherein the interior rib is configured to receive the wingnutthereagainst such that the interior rib inhibits the proximal couplingfrom rotating within the instrument body.

Example 8

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 2 through 7,wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a transducer housingextending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the transducer housinghas a distal end portion with a distal hollow and an adjacent proximalhollow, wherein the distal coupling is secured against the transducerhousing within the distal hollow such that the transducer housinginhibits rotation and translation relative to the transducer housing,wherein the proximal coupling is secured against the transducer housingwithin the proximal hollow such that the transducer housing inhibitstranslation relative to the transducer housing and the proximal couplingis configured to rotate within the transducer housing.

Example 9

The surgical instrument of Example 8, wherein the transducer housing isconfigured to distally receive the proximal coupling within the proximalhollow, and wherein the proximal coupling includes a connection featureconfigured to longitudinally secure the proximal coupling within thetransducer housing.

Example 10

The surgical instrument of Example 9, wherein the instrument bodyincludes an interior rib and the proximal coupling further includes aproximal body and a tab extending radially outward from the proximalbody, wherein the interior rib is configured to receive the tabthereagainst such that the interior rib inhibits the proximal couplingfrom rotating within the instrument body.

Example 11

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 8 through 10,wherein the transducer housing has a proximal wall and is configured toproximally receive the proximal coupling through the distal hollow towithin the proximal hollow, and wherein the proximal coupling iscaptured between the distal coupling and the proximal wall tolongitudinally secure the proximal coupling within the transducerhousing.

Example 12

The surgical instrument of Example 11, wherein the instrument bodyincludes an interior rib and the proximal coupling further includes aproximal body and a wingnut threaded thereon, wherein the interior ribis configured to receive the wingnut thereagainst such that the interiorrib inhibits the proximal coupling from rotating within the instrumentbody.

Example 13

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 8 through 12,further comprising an annular dynamic seal positioned within theproximal hollow between the transducer housing and the proximal couplingreceived therein, wherein the annular dynamic seal is configured toinhibit foreign matter from being introduced further distally into theultrasonic transducer assembly as the ultrasonic transducer assemblyrotates about the proximal coupling.

Example 14

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 2 through 13,wherein each of the first and second electrical cord contacts isannular.

Example 15

The surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 1 through 14,further comprising: (a) a handle assembly including the instrument bodyand the ultrasonic transducer assembly; (b) a shaft assembly extendingdistally from the handle assembly; (c) an end effector extendingdistally from the shaft assembly; and (d) an acoustic waveguideoperatively connected to the ultrasonic transducer assembly andextending distally therefrom along the shaft assembly to the endeffector.

Example 16

A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) an instrument body; (b) anultrasonic transducer assembly rotatably mounted along a longitudinalaxis within the instrument body such that the ultrasonic transducerassembly is configured to selectively rotate about the longitudinalaxis, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly; (c) a power cordprojecting from the instrument body and configured to provide electricalpower to the ultrasonic transducer assembly for operating an acousticwaveguide; and (d) a transducer slip joint positioned between the powercord and the ultrasonic transducer assembly, including: (i) a proximalcoupling affixed to the power cord and having a first electrical cordcontact electrically connected to the power cord, and (ii) a distalcoupling affixed to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and having afirst electrical transducer contact electrically connected to theultrasonic transducer assembly, wherein the first electrical transducercontact is positioned radially outward from the first electrical cordcontact relative to the longitudinal axis and slidingly receives thefirst electrical cord contact radially thereagainst such that the firstelectrical transducer contact and the first electrical cord contact areconfigured to communicate electrical power therebetween, wherein thetransducer slip joint is configured to mechanically connect the powercord to the ultrasonic transducer assembly such that the ultrasonictransducer assembly is configured to selectively rotate relative to thepower cord for inhibiting the power cord from winding upon rotation ofthe ultrasonic transducer assembly relative to the instrument body.

Example 17

The surgical instrument of Example 16, wherein the ultrasonic transducerassembly includes a transducer housing extending along the longitudinalaxis, wherein the transducer housing has a distal end portion with adistal hollow and an adjacent proximal hollow, wherein the transducerhousing is configured to distally receive the proximal coupling withinthe proximal hollow, and wherein the proximal coupling includes aconnection feature configured to longitudinally secure the proximalcoupling within the transducer housing.

Example 18

The surgical instrument of Example 17, wherein the proximal coupling hasa second electrical cord contact electrically connected to the powercord, wherein the distal coupling has a second electrical transducercontact electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer assembly,wherein the second electrical transducer contact is positioned radiallyoutward from the second electrical cord contact relative to thelongitudinal axis and slidingly receives the second electrical cordcontact radially thereagainst such that the second electrical transducercontact and the second electrical cord contact are configured tocommunicate electrical power therebetween.

Example 19

A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) an instrument body; (b) anultrasonic transducer assembly rotatably mounted along a longitudinalaxis within the instrument body such that the ultrasonic transducerassembly is configured to selectively rotate about the longitudinalaxis, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly; (c) a power cordprojecting from the instrument body and configured to provide electricalpower to the ultrasonic transducer assembly for operating an acousticwaveguide; and (d) a transducer slip joint positioned between the powercord and the ultrasonic transducer assembly, including: (i) a proximalcoupling affixed to the power cord and having an electrical cord contactelectrically connected to the power cord, and (ii) a distal couplingaffixed to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and having an electricaltransducer contact electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducerassembly, wherein the electrical transducer contact is positioneddistally from the electrical cord contact relative and slidinglyreceives the electrical cord contact longitudinally thereagainst suchthat the electrical transducer contact and the electrical cord contactare configured to communicate electrical power therebetween, wherein thetransducer slip joint is configured to mechanically connect the powercord to the ultrasonic transducer assembly such that the ultrasonictransducer assembly is configured to selectively rotate relative to thepower cord for inhibiting the power cord from winding upon rotation ofthe ultrasonic transducer assembly relative to the instrument body.

Example 20

The surgical instrument of Example 19, wherein the ultrasonic transducerassembly includes a transducer housing extending along the longitudinalaxis, wherein the transducer housing has a distal end portion with adistal hollow and an adjacent proximal hollow, wherein the transducerhousing has a proximal wall and is configured to proximally receive theproximal coupling through the distal hollow to within the proximalhollow, and wherein the proximal coupling is captured between the distalcoupling and the proximal wall to longitudinally secure the proximalcoupling within the transducer housing.

IV. Miscellaneous

It should be understood that any of the versions of instrumentsdescribed herein may include various other features in addition to or inlieu of those described above. By way of example only, any of theinstruments described herein may also include one or more of the variousfeatures disclosed in any of the various references that areincorporated by reference herein. It should also be understood that theteachings herein may be readily applied to any of the instrumentsdescribed in any of the other references cited herein, such that theteachings herein may be readily combined with the teachings of any ofthe references cited herein in numerous ways. Moreover, those ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that various teachings hereinmay be readily applied to electrosurgical instruments, staplinginstruments, and other kinds of surgical instruments. Other types ofinstruments into which the teachings herein may be incorporated will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or otherdisclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to beincorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to theextent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existingdefinitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in thisdisclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure asexplicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting materialincorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, thatis said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts withexisting definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forthherein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arisesbetween that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

Versions of the devices described above may have application inconventional medical treatments and procedures conducted by a medicalprofessional, as well as application in robotic-assisted medicaltreatments and procedures. By way of example only, various teachingsherein may be readily incorporated into a robotic surgical system suchas the DAVINCI™ system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif.Similarly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious teachings herein may be readily combined with various teachingsof U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool withUltrasound Cauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” published Aug. 31, 2004,the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Versions described above may be designed to be disposed of after asingle use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. Versionsmay, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuse after at leastone use. Reconditioning may include any combination of the steps ofdisassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement ofparticular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, someversions of the device may be disassembled, and any number of theparticular pieces or parts of the device may be selectively replaced orremoved in any combination. Upon cleaning and/or replacement ofparticular parts, some versions of the device may be reassembled forsubsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, or by a userimmediately prior to a procedure. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that reconditioning of a device may utilize a variety oftechniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement, and reassembly. Use ofsuch techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all withinthe scope of the present application.

By way of example only, versions described herein may be sterilizedbefore and/or after a procedure. In one sterilization technique, thedevice is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic orTYVEK bag. The container and device may then be placed in a field ofradiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation,x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation may kill bacteria on thedevice and in the container. The sterilized device may then be stored inthe sterile container for later use. A device may also be sterilizedusing any other technique known in the art, including but not limited tobeta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or steam.

Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention,further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may beaccomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill inthe art without departing from the scope of the present invention.Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and otherswill be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, theexamples, embodiments, geometrics, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps,and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required.Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered interms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to thedetails of structure and operation shown and described in thespecification and drawings.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) anultrasonic transducer assembly configured to selectively rotate; and (b)a transducer slip joint configured to electrically connect a power cordwith the ultrasonic transducer assembly, wherein the transducer slipjoint comprises: (i) a first body rotatably coupled with the ultrasonictransducer assembly, and (ii) a second body rotatably coupled with thepower cord, wherein the second body is at least partially longitudinallyconstrained relative to the first body.
 22. The surgical instrument ofclaim 21, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly includes aplurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein the transducer slip jointis positioned proximal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements of theultrasonic transducer assembly.
 23. The surgical instrument of claim 21,wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly defines a longitudinal axis,wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly is configured to selectivelyrotate about the longitudinal axis.
 24. The surgical instrument of claim21, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly defines a longitudinalaxis, wherein the transducer slip joint is configured to electricallyconnect a power cord with the ultrasonic transducer assembly such thatthe ultrasonic transducer assembly is configured to rotate about thelongitudinal axis relative to the power cord while the power cordprovides power to the ultrasonic transducer assembly.
 25. The surgicalinstrument of claim 24, wherein one of the first or second bodies isconfigured to rotate relative to the other of the first and secondbodies about the longitudinal axis.
 26. The surgical instrument of claim21, wherein one of the first or second bodies includes a resilientlybiased contact arm configured to remain in contact with the other of thefirst or second bodies.
 27. The surgical instrument of claim 26, whereinthe second body comprises an annular contact member, wherein the firstbody includes the resiliently biased contact arm configured to abutagainst the annular contact member of the second body.
 28. The surgicalinstrument of claim 27, wherein the resiliently biased contact arm isradially biased against the annular contact member.
 29. The surgicalinstrument of claim 21, wherein the second body comprises a postextending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the first body isconfigured to rotate relative to the post.
 30. The surgical instrumentof claim 21, wherein the surgical instrument further comprises ahousing, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly is rotatably mountedto the housing, wherein the second body is rotationally fixed about alongitudinal axis via the housing.
 31. The surgical instrument of claim21, further comprising the power cord configured to provide electricalpower to the ultrasonic transducer assembly.
 32. The surgical instrumentof claim 21, further comprising: (a) a handle assembly that includes theultrasonic transducer assembly; (b) a shaft assembly extending distallyfrom the handle assembly; (c) an end effector extending distally fromthe shaft assembly; and (d) an acoustic waveguide operatively connectedto the ultrasonic transducer assembly and extending distally therefromalong the shaft assembly to the end effector.
 33. A surgical instrument,comprising: (a) an ultrasonic transducer assembly that defines alongitudinal axis, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly isconfigured to selectively rotate about the longitudinal axis, whereinthe ultrasonic transducer assembly defines a first outer profile that istransverse to the longitudinal axis; and (b) a transducer slip jointconfigured to electrically connect a power cord with the ultrasonictransducer assembly, wherein the transducer slip joint defines a secondouter profile that is transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein thesecond outer profile fits within the first outer profile of theultrasonic transducer assembly.
 34. The surgical instrument of claim 33,wherein the transducer slip joint comprises: (i) a first body rotatablycoupled with the ultrasonic transducer assembly, and (ii) a second bodyrotatably coupled with the power cord.
 35. The surgical instrument ofclaim 34, wherein the second body is at least partially longitudinallyconstrained relative to the first body.
 36. The surgical instrument ofclaim 34, wherein the second body is in direct contact with theultrasonic transducer assembly.
 37. The surgical instrument of claim 33,further comprising the power cord configured to provide electrical powerto the ultrasonic transducer assembly.
 38. The surgical instrument ofclaim 33, wherein the transducer slip joint is configured toelectrically connect the power cord with the ultrasonic transducerassembly and mechanically connect the power cord to the ultrasonictransducer assembly.
 39. A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) anultrasonic transducer assembly configured to selectively rotate; and (b)a transducer slip joint configured to electrically connect a power cordwith the ultrasonic transducer assembly, wherein the transducer slipjoint comprises: (i) a first body rotatably coupled with the ultrasonictransducer assembly, and (ii) a second body rotatably coupled with thepower cord, and (iii) a seal positioned between the first and secondbodies and configured to inhibit a foreign matter from being introducedbetween the first and second bodies.
 40. The surgical instrument ofclaim 39, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly defines alongitudinal axis, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly isconfigured to selectively rotate about the longitudinal axis.